The Taste of Celery

The Taste of Celery

Over the last six years, we’ve learnt a lot about what veggies people like to eat regularly, and what veggies are easy to grow on our farm. Sometimes these two things line up – that is, a veggie that is both popular and relatively easy to grow – this is true in the case of lettuce, kale, radish, and silver beet. But then there are those veggies that are in high demand but that we always struggle to grow. Celery is an example of this.

Celery is a notoriously fussy plant. It needs lots of water but requires a well-drained soil. It hates competition from weeds, yet it struggles with temperature fluctuations. We have a couple of success stories from where we’ve gotten lucky and grown celery in weather that suits it well, but those times have been exceptions to the norm.

This season we’ve found an alternative crop that provides the celery taste that our customers crave but doesn’t present the growing hassle. Yellow celery, or Chinese celery, is a variety that is grown for it’s long, crunchy stem and its fragrant leaf. Similar to the water celery that some of our customers have had in their boxes before, what yellow celery lacks in stalk width, it makes up for in taste. This plant really packs a punch, which makes your standard supermarket celery taste pretty flavourless.

Cal Champagne,

Green Connect Farm Manager

Family Farm tours are back in the school holidays! $14.00 pp

Bring the whole family to the Green Connect farm for a fun and educational farm tour

where everyone can touch, smell and taste their way through the 11-acre farmlands and

market gardens where your box comes from. Very limited tickets so book online now at:

https://green-connect.com.au/product/farm-tour-for-families/

What’s that in my box: Bok Choy is a very popular Asian green that is delicious stir-fried with garlic, ginger & chilli. It’s a good source of dietary fibre and contains vitamins A, C, and K (one cup of Bok Choy will provide you with 60% of your daily requirement for vitamin A)! It’s best cooked and can be used in stir-fries, soups, or salads.

Bok Choy Stir Fry serves 2

https://www.loveandlemons.com/bok-choy-stir-fry/

Ingredients
sauce:
1 ½ tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice, plus extra lime slices for serving
½ teaspoon honey (or maple syrup if vegan)
½ teaspoon minced ginger
1 small garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon sesame oil

for the stir fry:
1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or any high-heat oil)
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced

½ small head broccoli, florets chopped, stems peeled into strips
2 scallions, chopped
2 baby bok choy, sliced vertically into quarters
½ cup edamame
1 carrot, peeled into thin strips
4 ounces brown rice pasta *(see note)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
sambal or sriracha, for serving (optional)

Instructions
Make the sauce by stirring together the tamari, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Set aside.
In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse and set aside (or leave them in cold water or toss with a little oil to prevent clumping).
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and broccoli, stir to coat then let cook 1 to 2 minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften and the broccoli begins to brown. Give the pan a good shake and stir, then add the scallions, bok choy, and edamame. Cook, stirring occasionally for another 2 minutes, until the bok choy and broccoli are tender but still vibrant.Add the carrots and noodles and toss. Add the sauce, toss again. Add a squeeze of lime. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with extra lime slices and sambal or sriracha on the side.

Oven Roasted Parsley Potatoes

https://bunnyswarmoven.net/oven-roasted-parsley-potatoes/

Ingredients

½ cup butter
8 potatoes cut into quarters
1 small onion diced
2-3 Tablespoons Parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the butter in a cast iron skillet on top of the stove. Add the onion to the pan. Sauté on low just until the onion has softened, add the garlic, cook and stir 1 more minute. Add the potatoes, toss to coat well with the butter mixture. Place the cast iron skillet with the potatoes in the preheated oven. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes (turning the potatoes with a spatula once halfway through baking) or until golden brown and softened. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped parsley.
If using a baking dish – melt the butter in a sauté pan, add the onion to the butter. Sauté until onion is softened, add the garlic, stir and cook 1 more minute. Add the potatoes to the sauté pan, toss to coat. Place the potatoes into a baking dish, place the baking dish into the oven, bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes (turning potatoes once with a spatula halfway through baking) or until golden brown and soft. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped parsley.